Clamp-bar for wire-fence stretchers.



. J. W. SNEDEKER.

CLAMP BAR'FOR WIRE FENCE s'rmz'roanas.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1913.

Patented June 9, 1914.

I 1/ II:

V. F. N M U A W/ T/VESSES fJWm M COLUMBIA I'LANUCIRAPN co.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED 1 STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. SNEDEKER, OF. ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

CLAMP-BAR FOR WIRE-FENCE STRETGHERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. SNEDEKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamp-Bars for WVire-Fence Stretchers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to clamp bars and is especially designed for use in connection with tension applying means for stretching wire fabric fencing, and consists in the con struction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The invention has for its object the provision of a light and strongly constructed clamp bar, together with clamping means to facilitate its ready attachment to the wires of a fence, in which the construction of the bar is such as to enable the adjustment of the clamping means to accommodate a wide variation in the spacingof the horizontal wires of the variousvstyles of fence fabric, to which said bar is to be clamped in the operation of stretching the fabric when securing it to the supporting posts of the fence, and in which the clamping means is such as to afford a broad bearing and insure a firm grip uponthe wire, and at the same time embrace the body of the clamping bar in suchmanner as to stay and reinforce the structure of the bar against a twisting and spreading strain, enabling the use of a com paratively light structural formation of the body of the bar.

The above object is attained by the construction and association of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of a fabric wire fence showing the application of the clamp bar thereto in connection with means for applying tension to the fabric of the fence when securing it, to the supporting posts. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the clamp bar detached, having a portion of the body of thebar broken away and showing the position of the Wire clamping members thereon, and also the chain grip Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 28, 1913.

Patented June 9, 1914. Serial No. 803,414.

clamps for attachment to the stretcher chains. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on dotted line 3 -3 of Fig. 2, showing a fence wire clamped to the bar. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section through the bar and its clamps showingthe fence wires clamped thereby.

Referring to the drawings by the characters of reference marked thereon, l designates the clamp rail or bar which is formed of sheet metal, the body portion being bent in a semi-circular or concavo-convex shape in cross-section. The terminal portions of the metal at the sides of the bar are bent or turned inwardly toward each other upon the concaved side thereof, forming overhanging flanges 2 which extend in the same plane from diametrically opposite sides of the bar their edges terminating apart from each other to form an open channel 3 parallel with and extending into the concavity of the bar.

Attached to the lower end of the bar is a curved foot or runner 4: having a central. upwardly projecting lug 5 formed thereon which extends into the concavity longitudinally of the bar and is rigidly locked in contact with the inner face of the flanges 2 by means of a bolt 6 which passes through said lug and through the channel 3 of the bar 1, and also through a clamp plate 7 in contact with the outer faces of said flanges, receiving a nut 8 on the threaded end thereof, by means of which said parts are firmly bound together. The curved foot at the end of the bar is adapted to rest onthe surface of the ground and serve as a vertical support or runner for the bar as it travels laterally with the movement of the fence in the operation of stretching the wires thereof.

Mounted upon the face of the bar and spanning the channel 3 therein, and lying in contact with the outer faces of the flanges 2 of said bar, is'a plurality of wire clamping plates 9 which are provided centrally at op posite ends with laterally projecting or overhanging lugs 10 that extend around and embrace the radial edges upon opposite sides of the bar 1, said lugs serving to hold the plates from turning on the face of the bar and also to prevent the sides of the bar from spreading. Formed in the inner faces of said clamp plates, extending longitudinally thereof and upon opposite sides of the lugs 10, are V--shaped recesses 11 adapted to receive and grip the horizontal wires 12 0f the bar, and

fence, as clearly shown in- 3 and 4c. Formed centrally through each of said clamp plates 9 is an aperture 13, and extending through said aperture and through the channel 3 of the clamp bar l is a bolt 141. The head of each bolt lying within the concavity of the clamp bar is engaged by an anchor plate which rests in contact with the inner faces of the flanges 2 of said engages at its ends with the inner face of the wall of said bar upon opposite sides thereof. The bolt 14L passing through said plate is locked against rotation through the engagement of the squared shoulder 16 thereon with a squared aperture formed through said plate, and said'pl'ate is also held against rotation through the'conta'ct of its ends with the inner face of the wall of said bar. The parts being drawn together by means of jam nuts 17 on'the ends of said bolts, which engage the outer faces of said clamps, embrace and confine the flanges of 5 the clamp bar between them, thereby bridge mg the channel in the clamp bar in a manner brace and tie the free sides of said bar together. The lugs 10 embracing the outermost edges of the bar serve to confine the sides of said bar against a tendency to spread apart, thus assisting in maintaining uniformity in the body and channel of the bar.

I To provide means for attaching the chain through which tension is applied to the bar 7 in the operation of 1 stretching the fence wires, two chain grip clamps 18 are provided. Said clamps consistof bodyportions adapted to embrace the outer faces of the 'fla'nges and the opposite edges of the clamp bar in a manner similar to that for attaching the parts being clamped the clamping plates,

bolts and 1 nuts, as

' are shifted upon thebar' to position the clamps with respect to the spacing of the wires'of the fence. A horizontal wire 12 of the fence is then placed in a recess of each of the clamp plates 9 upon either side thereof, and the nuts of the clamp bolts are then set up against the. faces of the clamp plates, confining said wires therein against the outer faces of the flanges of the clamp bar. When all of the horizontal wires of the fence shall have been thus secured to the clamp bar, chains are attached to the chain grip clamps and to one ofthe posts 21 of fence thereto,

the fence, ratchet levers 22 connected with said chains said bar is drawn horizontally in its upand through the medium of. the

right position, the shoe or runner thereon traveling on the ground as said bar moves forward in applying tension to the horizontal wires of the fence. When the proper tension is applied to the wires of the fence,

said wires are secured by means of staples 23 to a suitable post of the fence, as at 24:, at which time the bar may be detached from the wires by unscrewing the nuts of the clamps and said barv may then be moved forward and again employed in the same manner for stretchingv another section of the fence fabrlc.

The chain device shown for stretching the wire of: the fenceforms no part ofthis invention, but is merely shown to illustrate, the application of the clamping ployed for such purpose, nor

bar limited in its use is this clamp wayswhere it is desirable to attach a plurality of wires to a single member, as for example said bar may be employed as a fence post for securing the line wires of the and by reasoniof the structural formation of the bar it is readily adaptable for anchorage to a fixed support,

vliile the open channel formed therein bar when emfor stretching wire fence, it being obvious that said bar may be V employed advantageously in many other readily permits of a wide 'rangeofadjust ment ofthe clamping members to adapt said clamps to the horizontal wlres of the fence fabric. 7

Besides the structural and adjustable ad,- vanta 'es of this clamp bar it will be seen that said bar may be rolled to form from comparatively light metal atconsiderable varying distances between the length, and will only require cutting to the desired length to prepare it ready for use in connection with the clamping members," 7 which, when applied, addmaterially to strengthen the bar.

'Having thus fully what I claim as new, and-desire-tosecure by =Letters Patent, is I set forth my invention, 7

1; A clamp bar comprising aconcavo-con- V vex sheet metal body having its opposite edges turned inwardly in. the form of flanges extending'in the plane of achord across the concavity of said bar and terminating apart from each other to form an open channel leading-into said concavity, clamping means for attaching the wires ofa fence to the.

flanges of said bar, means for'movably supporting said bar attached to the end thereof, and means attached to said bar for connection with a wire fence stretcher.

2. A clamp bar comprising a hollow sheet metal bar' having inwardly, projecting flanges forming an open channel between their adjacent edges, an anchor plate in the hollow of said bar seated on the inner faces of said flanges, a clamp plate having a lug at each end projecting laterally from the face of said plate adapted to engage the edges of said clamp bar upon opposite sides of the channel therein, a member interposed between said clamp plate and the outer faces of the flanges of said bar, and means connecting said clamp plate with said clamp bar through the channel of said bar for confining said interposed member between said bar and clamp plate.

3. A clamp bar for stretching wire comprising a hollow bar having inwardly projecting flanges forming an open channel be tween their adjacent edges, an anchor plate in the hollow of said bar engaging the inner faces of said flanges, a clamp plate having a recess in the face thereof and provided with projectinglugs at its ends adapted to engage the outer edgesupon opposite sides of the channel of said bar, a wire member engaged by the recess of said clamp and adapted to be confined therein between said clamp and the outer faces of said clamp bar flanges, means connecting said anchor plate and said clamp plate for forcing said parts toward each other, and means for movably supporting said bar attached to the end thereof. 7

4. In a clamp bar for stretching wire fence, the combination of a hollow sheet metal bar having flanges projecting inwardly over the hollow of said bar, the edges of said flanges terminating apart to form a channel opening into the hollow of said bar, an anchor plate in the hollow of said bar engaging at its ends the inner face of the wall of said bar and seated on the inner faces of said. flanges, a clamp plate having a recess in the face thereof, lugs on the ends of said clamp plate projecting laterally from the face thereof adapted to engage the outer face of the wall of said hollow bar upon opposite sides of the channel therein, a Wire strand embraced by the recess of said clamp plate and adapted to be confined therein between the outer faces of the flanges of said clamp bar and said clamp plate, a bolt se cured in said anchor plate and passing through said. clamp plate and a nut on said bolt for engaging said clamp plate, means for movably supporting said clamp bar attached to the end thereof, and means connected to said bar for attachment to a fence wire stretcher.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. SNEDEKER.

\Vitnesses:

Gno. L. BENNE'rr, F. E. Osooon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

